Signs are all so positive

Bradford City ended a fairytale year with an unexpected goalless draw - but it was enough to boost hopes that 2000 may prove just as memorable for Paul Jewell's men.

The Bantams have enjoyed an unforgettable 12 months with Premiership football arriving at Valley Parade and the new Kop stand giving the club a stadium worthy of the top flight.

Everton arrived in Bradford bang in form with three consecutive victories and eight goals in their last two Premiership outings.

The Bantams must also have been feeling the effects of a draining 90 minutes on a pudding of an Old Trafford pitch just 48 hours earlier.

Despite that, Jewell's men dug deep into their famous resolve and although the game finished goalless - only City's third 0-0 deadlock from 46 matches in 1999 - it was the Bantams who went closest to taking all three points.

City's impressive striker Lee Mills twice came within inches of breaking the deadlock with only the post saving Everton keeper Paul Gerrard on the second occasion.

Dean Saunders also brought the best out of Gerrard while Dean Windass's stinging drive flashed just past the post.

Everton also had some good chances, particularly late in the game. But unfortunately for Walter Smith's men, they found not only Matt Clarke in fine form but also a set of players willing to throw themselves at any potential goalbound effort to maintain a clean sheet.

A draw was perhaps the fairest result on the balance of play. But when you consider that City were not at their best for long periods and that Everton had put five goals past Sunderland two days earlier, it's another encouraging sign for the months ahead.

With this draw meaning City are unbeaten in three months at home, it suggests they have what it takes to survive.

Certainly if the relegation fight is to be decided on guts and determination alone, then City will be safe.

In recent weeks, games at Valley Parade have been incredibly open affairs with play switching from end to end and a host of chances flowing as a result.

However that was certainly not the case in the opening 45 minutes yesterday where both sides struggled to put together incisive passing moves which could open up the opposition.

City suffered through a lack of width in that half with too many crosses being fired into the box from ten yards inside the Everton half.

Mills can always be relied to win a fair number of aerial challenges but the service City were providing was meat and drink to such an experienced campaigner as Richard Gough.

The Scot may be one of the oldest defenders in the Premiership at 37, but he was magnificent against City as he used all his experience to hold the Everton backline together.

City's best hope of opening up Everton in those opening 45 minutes came in the form of Saunders' running off the ball.

The Welsh international never stopped buzzing in and around the Everton backline but just as he found some space, the delivery of the pass from midfield let City down and the chance was gone.

However a wonderful ball by Lee Sharpe nine minutes after the break did create an opening for Saunders only for Gerrard to get down well and save.

Despite this rare chance, City were still lacking genuine width - a problem which Jewell tackled just after the hour mark when he brought on Peter Beagrie.

All of a sudden, City were looking much sharper going forward as they enjoyed comfortably their best period of the game.

Stuart McCall, who had looked jaded in the first half, also sprung to life and was at his inspirational best through the centre.

Mills was also finding some great positions and was picked out in quick succession by Beagrie and Saunders only for a defender and the post respectively to deny City's top scorer.

Unfortunately for another capacity Valley Parade crowd, that elusive goal would not come but to City's credit they battled hard to ensure they at least got a point from the game.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.